


Karaoke

by ficsandcatsandficsandcats



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:28:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23993041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ficsandcatsandficsandcats/pseuds/ficsandcatsandficsandcats
Summary: Reader Request: cute modern Jask and singalongs
Kudos: 2





	Karaoke

Geralt had been so careful.

Their weekly hangouts had conveniently always ended up around karaoke nights which meant Jaskier spent more time performing than he did catching up. Geralt had asked to plan the next hangout and he was certain he’d chosen the perfect spot. An old dive he’d snuck into as a kid without needing fake ID, no one cared enough to ask. It wasn’t the kind of spot Jaskier would ever go on his own but he’d put on a brave face, determined to make the most of things.

At first it was going well. They ordered ale and chatted a bit. Geralt wasn’t bit on small talk but he asked the usual things, “how’s work”, “do I need to kick anybody’s ass?” etc. Jaskier begrudgingly asked about Yennefer and tried not to look too pleased that they were in an “off again” stage, knowing full well that before long it would be back on.

They were playing darts when it happened.

Geralt was lining up a shot that would end the game, finally beating Jaskier who had proven to be weirdly adept at darts, when he heard his friend gasp. The dart went flying, nearly hitting the bartender, as Geralt spun to see what had scared Jaskier. But it wasn’t fear he saw on his face; it was delight.

And he was staring at the jukebox.

There was an unwritten rule that you didn’t play the jukebox. It was more decorative than anything and never once in his whole life had Geralt heard any sound come from it. Hell, he didn’t know if the thing worked. It seemed he was about to find out.

“I’ve always wanted one of these!” Jaskier said excitedly, looking through the song selection.

“Jaskier c’mon they don’t want music, if they did they’d be playing it,” Geralt said, trying to pull his friend away. Jaskier shook him off and when he gasped a second time Geralt knew he’d found a song.

The jukebox accepted Jaskier’s quarter and it lit up as a tune that sounded vaguely familiar broke through the quiet bar. Conversation slowed to a hush and Geralt could feel eyes from every corner of the room on him and his oblivious friend.

And then, as things usually did, it got much, much worse.

“Mama…. Just killed a man…”

“Fuck.”

“Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger now he’s dead….”

“Jaskier we shoul-“

“Mamaa,” Jaskier pressed a finger to Geralt’s lips, silencing his protest, “Life had juuust beguuuun, but now I’ve gone and thrown it aaall awaaaay.”

“You’re telling me,” Geralt mumbled, sending death glares to anyone who glared at Jaskier.

“MAMAAAAA OOOooOooOoHHHHHH…. DIDN’T MEAN TO MAKE YOU CRY!”

“Goddamnit Jaskier.”

“IF I’M NOT BACK AGAIN THIS TIME TOMORROW! CARRY OOON CARRY ON! As if nothing really matters… OY! Geralt!”

Geralt grabbed Jaskier firmly by the collar and pulled him back to their booth as the music continued to the next verse.

“What are you doing Geralt? You can’t not sing along to Bohemian Rhapsody, it’s Queen for god’s sake!” Jaskier exclaimed, genuinely insulted.

“Jaskier this isn’t one of your karaoke clubs where people break out into song!”

“I see a little silhouette of a man.”

The voice piped up behind Geralt and for a moment he wondered if Jaskier had learned how to throw his voice but Jaskier was looking behind him, that same damn look of delight he’d shown when Geralt begrudgingly agreed to sing a duet with him. It had been Hakuna Matata, so it didn’t count, he reasoned. Yennefer recording it on her phone and posting it online had been one of the many things to trigger their being off again.

Across the bar, another voice joined.

“Scaramouche! Scaramouche! Can you do the fandango?”

In a chorus the bar cried out, “THUNDERBOLTS AND LIGHTNING, VERY, VERY FRIGHTNING ME!”

The same two from before sang the next part and Jaskier watched in glee. Geralt would never admit this but he admired Jaskier’s courage. Wherever he went he was his authentic self and worked to make others feel like they could be themselves as well. And he somehow saw or created beautiful moments wherever he went. The fact he thought this bar full of grizzly looking strangers breaking out into song was beautiful was a secret he would take to his grave but he felt it nonetheless. He was about to say something to Jaskier, something about being glad he brought him here or something else that vaguely hinted at the larger feelings that hid behind it. But then Jaskier jumped on the table.

“SO YOU THINK YOU CAN STONE ME AND SPIT IN MY EYEEEEE!” Jaskier held the glass ketchup bottle aloft, singing into it and then using it as an air guitar while Geralt anxiously held the slightly wobbly old table steady.

“SO YOU THINK YOU CAN LOVE ME AND LEAVE ME TO DIIIIIIIE OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH BABYYYY CAN’T DO THIS TO ME BAAABYYY JUSTGOTTAGETOUUUUT JUSTGOTTAGET RIGHT OUTTA HEEEERE!”

Geralt didn’t bother trying to pull his friend down, he just resigned himself to finishing out the performance, mumbling to himself about how long this fucking song was anyway as it began to slow back down and Jaskier knelt on the table, gesturing like a Shakespearean performer orating a soliloquy as he performed the final lines to a watching crowd.

“Nothing really matters, anyone can see… Nothing really matters…. To meeeeee……”

The rest of the bar sang “Anyway the wind blows” and then it was done.

Except, of course, it wasn’t done. The crowd cheered and more coins were put in the machine as Jaskier performed encores and pulled other patrons out of their seats to take a turn until it might as well have been one of the karaoke bars they usually went to.

When they finally left the bar, long after closing time and only after Jaskier had exchanged contact information with practically every person in there, he noticed Geralt’s silence was a little less stony and a little more sad than usual.

“Geralt, what’s happened? Did Yennefer text you while I was leading the gang through the chorography for Bad Romance? You could have pulled me away, they had it after one go ‘round of the chorus,” he said, giving his friend a concerned look. Geralt grunted and shook his head, trying to keep walking towards the car.

“Well something has happened,” Jaskier said, running in front of his large friend and halting his progress. “Come on, Geralt, talk to me.”

Geralt took a deep breath that turned into mist in cold night air.

“I thought we were going to just have some time,” he grumbled.

“We’ve spent a good five hours together I think that’s some time,” Jaskier protested.

“It’s not the same when you’re… on,” Geralt said.

“On?”

“You know, you start performing and then everyone crowds around you and you’re not really there anymore,” Geralt said with a shrug.

“Oh, fuck, Geralt…” Jaskier said, his tone growing sad as his eyes gave Geralt a chagrined look that made him deeply uncomfortable, “Fuck I’ve been a bad friend, haven’t I?”

“I never said that-”

“No but I’m saying it. I didn’t realize that you felt so strongly about having time together but that’s stupid because of course you do, otherwise you wouldn’t even bring it up,” Jaskier said. Geralt grunted, neither a confirming or denying grunt but Jaskier understood its meaning.

“Tell you what, I can’t promise not to be swayed by the siren song of a, well, any song practically, but what if we go camping? Just you and me! On the road! No one else!” Jaskier offered.

“You want to go camping?” Geralt asked skeptically.

“Yes, why not? You have that old camper don’t you? We could take it out and have a weekend!”

“Do you even have hiking boots?” Geralt asked.

“I have boots!” Jaskier replied, which did not give Geralt hope. Still, he considered the idea for a moment and Jaskier could tell when he’d decided to give it a try, his lips shifting into a smile nearly too subtle to see.

“Hmm…. Alright. Not this coming weekend because you have that gig but the one after?” Geralt suggested. Jaskier gasped and Geralt realized his mistake too late.

“You remember my gigs! You do pay attention! Oh ho, you’re not living this one down, you can’t deny it anymore! You like my singing!”

Jaskier chased after his friend who was already storming back towards the car.

“I just keep track so I know what places to avoid,” he argued.

“Nooo you don’t! You always sneak in! You just think I don’t see you!”

The sound of their bickering slowly faded in the night air as the two friends headed home.


End file.
